/'■ 


pvj 


[From  the  Roosevelt-State  Fair 

Edition  of  the  Raleigh  News 

and  Observer.] 


^^The  Successful  Training  of  Southern 

Youths  for  More  Than  a 

Century/^ 


^^The  Great  History  of  The  Bingham  Schoolj, 
Which  Has  Made  Many  of  the  Great  Men  of  the 
Nation  for  More  Than  a  Hundred  Years/^ 


Situated  on  the  Asheville  Plateau  and  Constructed  on  the  World's 
Most  Approved  Plan.    Commended  by: 

The  United  States  Government  and  its  Officials; 
By  the  Executive  and  the  Judiciary  and 

Military  Departments  of  the  Government 
of  North  Carolina; 

By  Presidents  of  Universities; 
By  Prominent  Physicians; 

And  by  Other  Distinguished  Men." 


a/ 


From  Col.  R.  Bingham,     i 
Asheville,  N.  C. 


f~  /% 


[From  the  Roosevelt- State  Fair  Edition  of  the  Raleigh  News  and 

Observer.] 


Co 
o 

0 


^^The  Successful  Training  of  Southern 

Youths  for  More  Than  a 

Century/^ 


The  Great  History  of  the  Bingham  School^  Which 
Has  Made  Many  of  the  Great  Men  of  the  Na- 
tion for  More  than  a  Hundred  Years/ ^ 


"  Situated  on  the  Asheville  Plateau  and  Constructed  on  the  World's 
Most  Approved  Plan.    Commended  by: 

The  United  States  Government  and  its  Officials; 
By  the  Executive  and  the  Judiciary  and 

Military  Departments  of  the  Government 
of  North  Carolina; 

By  Presidents  of  Universities; 
By  Prominent  Physicians; 

And  by  Other  Distinguished  Men." 

The  Bingham  School  began  its  career  in  the  last  decade  of  the 
i8th  century — only  four  years  after  the  Constitution  was  adopted, 
while  Washington,  Jefferson,  Madison,  Marshall  and  Hamilton, 
who  made  the  nation,  were  still  busy  with  their  great  work  and 
when  the  steamboat,  the  railroad  and  the  other  Titanic  agencies  of 
the  wodd,  as  we  know  it,  were  in  the  womb  of  the  future.  It  passed 
through  the  19th  century,  that  period  of  the  most  wonderful  devel- 
opment since  the  world  began,  and  it  stands  on  the  sunny  summits 
of  the  Appalachians,  facing  the  20th  century,  with  its  area  of  patron- 
age never  so  wide,  with  its  equipment  never  so  good,  with  its  loca- 
tion and  climatic  attractions  never  so  fine,  and  with  an  income  never 
so  great. 

One  of  its  alumni  has  been  Vice-President  of  the  United  States. 
Its  alumni  have  been  Cabinet  Ministers.  They  have  been  Senators 
and  Representatives  from  many  States.  They  have  been  Gover- 
nors of  many  States.  They  have  occupied  the  highest  judicial  posi- 
tions in  many  States;  and  one,  as  a  State  Chief  Justice,  was  for 
many  years  the  only  American  Judge  whose  decisions  were  quoted 
in  Europe.  They  have  been  distinguished  lawyers,  distinguished 
physicians,  distinguished  clergymen,  distinguished  agriculturalists 
and  the  most  distinguished  private  citizens  in  many  States. 
Three  Governors  of  North  Carolina  in  immediate  succes- 
sion were  its  alumni,  an  honor  which  has  been  conferred  on 
no  other  school  in  the  country  by  its  alumni  in  the  State  or  out  of 
the  State  of  its  location,  as  far  as  has  been  ascertained.  This  con- 
tinuity of  achievement  is  due  largely  to  the  fact  that  alone  among 
training  schools  in  the  United  States  there  has  been  no  break  in  the 


continuity  of  the  School's  superintendence,  methods,  discipline  and 
instruction,  and  during  all  these  years  its  purpose  has  been  to  make 
men  in  the  best  sense,  to  which  central  purpose  everything  else  has 
been  subordinated;  for  it  has  been  administered  by  three  genera- 
tions of  Binghams  from  grandfather  to  grandson  for  112  years. 
When  some  one  asked  Sir  Isaac  Newton  why  he  saw  farther  into 
the  secrets  of  Nature  than  other  men,  he  replied:  "Because  I  stand 
on  the  shoulders  of  giants."  It  is  because  the  Bingham  of  the  pres- 
ent stands  on  the  shoulders  of  the  Binghams  of  the  past  that  such 
results  have  been  achieved. 

Before  the  war  between  the  sections  the  School  could  not  accom- 
modate all  who  wished  to  attend;  but  in  order  to  do  fuller  justice  to 
its  patrons  and  to  its  pupils,  it  declined  to  increase  its  capacity. 
After  the  war  it  more  than  doubled  its  capacity  in  order  to  accom- 
modate its  steadily  increasing  patronage.  Of  late,  all  its  available 
space  has  again  been  occupied,  and  again  it  cannot  accommodate 
all  who  wish  to  attend;  but  in  order  t(3  do  fuller  justice  to  its  pat- 
rons and  to  its  pupils,  it  again  declines  to  increase  its  capacity.  An 
impressive  indication  of  the  School's  status  is  that  during  its  iioth 
year  48  of  its  total  enrollment  of  144  were  only  sons — that  is,  that 
one-third  of  its  patrons,  after  careful  scrutiny  into  the  merits,  in 
some  instances  at  least,  of  as  many  as  50  schools  for  boys,  chose 
Bingham's  for  their  only  sons.  Another  indication  is  that  in  1887 
the  U.  S.  Consul  to  Manchester  sent  his  sons  across  the  ocean  from 
England  to  Bingham's.  In  1897  the  U.  S.  Minister  to  Greece  came 
all  the  way  from  Athens  to  place  his  sons  at  Bingham's,  and  this 
year  the  U.  S.  Minister  to  Persia  sent  his  only  son  across  the  ocean 
to  the  School.  Another  indication  is  that  for  several  years  the 
School  has  attracted  more  pupils  from  other  States  to  North  Caro- 
lina for  education  than  are  attracted  by  our  University,  by  our  de- 
nominational Colleges  and  by  all  the  other  male  schools  in  the  State 
combined. 

Another  impressive  indication  of  the  School's  status  is  that  its 
pupils,  during  the  iioth  year  came  from  24  of  the  45  States  of  the 
Union,  extending  from  Massachusetts,  Nebraska  and  California  on 
the  North  to  Florida  and  Texas  on  the  South,  and  reaching  out  to 
the  Republic  of  Cuba;  during  the  iiith  year  its  patronage  extended 
to  British  Honduras,  and  frpm  the  84th  to  the  112th  year,  inclusive, 
49  localities  were  represented,  38  in  the  United  States;  i,  Daiquiri,  in 
Cuba;  2,  Mexico  City  and  Tehuantepec,  in  Mexico;  i,  Belize,  in 
British  Honduras;  i,  Brazil,  in  South  America;  4,  England,  Scot- 
land, Germany  and  Greece  in  Europe,  and  3,  Siam,  Japan  and  Persia, 
in  Asia,  an  area  of  patronage  equaled  by  but  few  institutions  of 
learning  of  any  grade  in  the  United  States,  and  approached  by  no 
other  school  in  the  South. 

Some  salient  facts  about  the  history  of  this  School,  of  which 
North  Carolinians  may  be  justly  proud,  may  interest  our  readers. 

Its  First  Headmaster. 

The  founder  and  first  headmaster  of  the  School  was  Rev.  Wil- 
liam Bingham,  son  of  James  Bingham,  of  Kilmore  Parish,  County 
Down,  Ireland,  which  is  still  the  home  of  the  Binghams  across  the 
seas,  among  whom  the  names  of  William,  Robert  and  James  still 
prevail,  the  head  of  the  family,  the  present  Earl  of  Lucan,  being 
Robert  Bingham. 

Young  William  Bingham  went  to  Scotland  for  education  two 
years  before  the  Declaration  of  Independence,  entering  the 
University    of    Glasgow,    according    to    the    records    in    the    office 


of  the  Registrar  of  the  University,  in  i774-  He  graduated  in  1788 
with  the  highest  distinction,  was  licensed  as  a  Presbyterian 
preacher,  and  soon  thereafter  he  began  the  work  of  the  ministry  in 
his  native  county.  Soon  afterwards  his  uncles,  of  whom  there  were 
several,  became  involved  in  one  of  the  many  efiforts  for  Irish  inde- 
pendence which  preceded  Emmett's  Rebellion,  and  they  had  to 
seek  safety  in  the  United  States  after  one  of  them  had  been  captured 
and  put  to  death  by  the  English  soldiers.  One  of  the  uncles,  settled 
in  New  York,  is  the  progenitor  of  the  New  York  Binghams,  and 
Binghamton  in  that  State  is  named  for  him.  Another  uncle  settled 
in  Ohio  and  was  the  progenitor  of  the  Ohio  Binghams,  of  whom 
John  A.  Bingham  is  perhaps  the  most  distinguished,  having  been 
elected  to  Congress  from  the  Twenty-first  District  of  Ohio  for  sev- 
eral terms,  having  been  chairman  of  the  impeachment  trial  of  An- 
drew Johnson  and  afterwards  U.  S.  Minister  to  Japan.  Before 
leaving  Ireland  Rev.  William  Bingham  had  made  an  engagement, 
through  a  gentleman  from  the  Cape  Fear  region,  who  was  traveling 
in  Ireland  at  the  time,  to  take  charge  of  the  Wilmington  Academy, 
for  which  purpose  he  set  sail  for  Wilmington,  North  Carolina,  in 
1789,  but  landed  in  Wilmington,  Delaware,  and  by  the  time  he 
reached  Wilmington,  N.  C,  his  place  had  been  filled.  Being  a 
stranger  in  a  strange  land  and  without  employment,  he  was  in  dis- 
tress; but  a  Masonic  sign,  given  in  taking  a  drink  of  water,  found 
friends  for  him;  and  on  the  resignation  of  the  principal  some  time 
afterwards  he  became  principal  of  the  Wilmington  Academy.  The 
climate  of  Wilmington  being  injurious  to  him,  and  there  being  at 
that  early  day,  as  there  is  still,  a  close  connection  between  Wilming- 
ton and  Pittsboro',  he  moved  to  Pittsboro'  and  became  First  Head- 
master of  the  Bingham  School  in  1793.  Some  years  later  he  was 
called  to  the  professorship  of  Ancient  Languages  in  the  new  Uni- 
versity of  North  Carolina  and  acted  as  Chairman  of  the  Faculty  for 
some  time  before  Dr.  Caldwell  became  President,  and  his  oldest 
son,  William  James  Bingham,  Second  Headmaster  of  the  School, 
named  for  the  child's  father  and  grandfather,  was  born  in  the  old 
Mitchell  House  at  the  west  side  of  the  college  campus. 

Findin,g  the  boys  who  came  to  the  University  were  too  poorly 
prepared  for  college  to  get  the  benefit  of  the  instruction,  he  re- 
signed his  professorship,  moved  to  Hillsboro,  and  opened  his  pri- 
vate school  again  for  the  special  purpose  of  preparing  boys  for  the 
University,  and  for  about  60  years  more  than  two-thirds  of  all  the 
first  honor  men  in  the  University  were  prepared  by  him  and  his 
successors.  About  1810  he  moved  his  school  to  "Mt.'  Repose,"  ten 
miles  north  of  Hillsboro',  where  he  taught  with  great  success  until 
his  death  in  1826. 

Its  Second  Headmaster. 

At  the  First  Headmaster's  death  in  February,  1826,  his  eldest  son, 
William  James  Bingham,  who  had  graduated  with  first  distinction 
at  the  University  in  the  class  of  1825,  was  studying  law  with  Judge 
Murphy  and  came,  at  the  earnest  request  of  his  mother,  to  fill  out 
the  unexpired  session.  At  the  end  of  the  session  the  senior  class  in- 
sisted on  his  remaining  another  year  and  preparing  them  for  college 
and  the  same  thing  occurred  another  year  and  another;  and  so  the 
prospective  brilliant  lawyer  and  politician  became  the  teacher  of 
a  private  school,  which  he  conducted  with  such  success  as  to  have 
to  refuse  300  pupils  in  a  single  year,  as  to  raise  his  tuition  fees  from 
$30  a  year  to  $150,  and,  despite  all  his  numerous  charities,  to  be- 
come a  man  of  comparative  wealth  for  those  days,  and  to  be  called 


by  the  newspapers  of  his  day  "That' Napoleon  of  School  Masters." 
In  1845  he  moved  his  school  from  Hillsboro',  as  his  father  before 
him  had.  done,  in  order  to  educate  his  own  sons  in  the  country,  and 
limited  his  pupils  to  30,  whom  he  selected  from  the  sons  of  more 
than  300  of  his  former  pupils  and  admirers.  In  1857  his  sons,  Wil- 
liam and  Robert,  who  had  graduated  with  first  distinction  from  the 
University  in  the  classes  of  1856  and  1857,  respectively,  became  part- 
ners in  the  School.  When  the  war  between  the  sections  broke  out, 
Robert  Bingham,  the  junior  partner,  organized  a  company  and 
joined  Lee's  army  and  surrendered  with  the  remnant  of  them  among 
the  7,892  armed  men  at  Appomattox  Court  House;  but  his  partner- 
ship in  the  School  remained  unbroken  during  the  whole  time  of  his 
absence. 

For  those  who  question  the  value  of  University  training  it 
might  be  worth  while  to  consider  that  every  one  of  the  four  Bing- 
hams  graduated  with  first  honor  at  a  great  University. 

Its  Third  Headmaster. 

As  has  already  been  said,  William  and  Robert  Bingham  joined 
their  father  in  1857  and  they  became  in  turn  the  Third  and  Fourth 
Headmasters  of  the  School.  Each  of  the  four  headmasters  had 
great  difficulties  to  overcome,  but  the  Third  Headmaster's  work 
was  more  trying  than  that  of  any  of  the  others.  His  father  was 
in  failing  health  after  1856  and  the  war  came  on  and  took  his 
brother  away.  He  was  a  man  of  very  great  intellectual  force,  but 
of  a  feeble  body,  and  he  died  in  1873.  He  had  to  contend,  not  only 
with  the  usual  difficulties  which  beset  those  who  deal  with  boys  in 
times  of  peace,  but  with  these  difficulties  much  aggravated  in  a 
time  of  war.  The  scarcity  of  supplies,  the  scarcity  of  books,  the 
scarcity  of  teachers,  the  difficulty  of  communication,  the  excite- 
ment, the  demoralization,  had  to  be  met.  A  constantly  depreciat- 
ing currency  and  a  constantly  increasing  price  for  everything  made 
the  financial  conditions  well-night  intolerable.  But  William  Bing- 
ham met  every  emergency  with  a  power  and  wisdom  rarely  ex- 
hibited. 

Finding  it  impossible  to  get  supplies  ten  miles  from  the  rail- 
road, the  Third  Headmaster  moved  the  School  to  Mebane,  and  by  a 
stroke  of  genius  he  incorporated  it  as  a  Military  Academy  and  se- 
cured exemption  from  the  Junior  Reserves  for  the  Bingham  Cadets 
up  to  18.  His  father's  health  failed  entirely  in  1864  and  he  died  in 
February,  1866.  In  December,  1864,  William  Bingham  became  the 
Third  Headmaster  and  he  carried  the  School  through  the  war  and 
through  the  depressing  conditions  after  the  war.  In  February,  1873, 
the  month  in  which  his  grandfather,  William  Bingham,  and  his 
father,  William  Bingham,  had  died,  the  third  William  Bingham 
joined  the  silent  majority. 

Its  Fourth  Headmaster. 

At  his  brother's  death  Robert  Bingham  became  headmaster. 
He  had  the  training  of  the  Bingham  School,  of  the  University  and 
of  perhaps  that  greater  University  still — four  years'  service  in  com- 
mand of  men  in  Lee's  army,  and  he  had  the  benefit  of  very  close 
association  with  his  father  and  brother,  than  whom  the  country  has 
produced  no  greater  instructors  and  guides  of  youth.  The  panic  of 
1873  was  upon  the  country.  The  reconstruction,  with  its  period  of 
terrible  depression,  was  upon  the  country.  The  School  had  been 
reduced  to  36  tuition  fees.     Its  buildings  were  still  the  log  cabins 


erected  in  i864-'5  by  William  Bingham.  Its  patronage  had  never 
extended  beyond  seven  States.  But  it  is  only  justice  to  say  that 
the  Fourth  Headmaster  has  not  fallen  behind  his  predecessors.  In 
his  hands  the  School  increased  steadily  in  numbers  and  effective- 
ness. In  the  hands  of  his  predecessors,  it  had,  as  before  stated, 
never  reached  beyond  seven  States.  In  the  hands  of  the  Fourth 
Headmaster  it  has,  reached  out  to  38  States  of  the  Union  and  to  11 
localities  beyond  the  seas,  as  has  already  been  stated. 

The  Migrations  of  the  School. 

Its  first  Headmaster  moved  the  School  from  Wilmington  to 
Pittsboro',  from  Pittsboro'  to  Hillsboro'  and  from  Hillsboro'  to  "Mt. 
Repose."  Its  Second  Headmaster  moved  from  "Mt.  Repose"  back 
to  Hillsboro'  and  from  Hillsboro'  to  Oaks.  Its  Third  Headmaster 
moved  it  from  Oaks  to  Mebane.  These  changes  of  location  were 
easy,  because  the  School  had  no  equipment  to  speak  of.  Some 
people  think  that  a  school-house  is  a  school,  that  bricks  and  mortar 
are  better  than  brains;  but  nothing  better  illustrates  the  fact  that 
the  teacher  is  the  school,  that  brains  and  not  bricks  and  mortar  are 
the  essentials  of  a  school  than  the  fact  that  the  first  three  headmas- 
ters combined  did  not  put  more  than  $3,500  into  buildings  and  equip- 
ment. But  the  time  had  come  for  a  combination  of  brains  and  bricks. 
President  Garfield  said  that  the  best  school  he  had  any  knowledge 
of  was  Mark  Hopkins  on  one  end  of  a  log  and  himself  on  the  other 
end.  The  Hon.  Mr.  Mebane,  late  Superintendent  of  Public  Instruc- 
tion, said  officially  that  up  to  1870  all  the  public  school  buildings  in 
North  Carolina  had  not  cost  more  than  $10,000  and  that  $5,000  was  a 
more  conservative  estimate;  whereas  now  the  public  school  build- 
ings in  Asheville  alone  cos'^t  more  than  $100,000.  In  the  hands  of 
Robert  Bingham  the  log  quarters  of  the  war  period  were  displaced 
by  frame  buildings;  an  academic  building  was  erected  and  a  com- 
modious gymnasium  was  added,  the  first  one  in  a  Southern  school 
and  the  only  one  in  the  South,  except  the  one  at  the  University  of 
Virginia.  The  fire  May  ist,  1882,  swept  all  these  buildings  away; 
but  the  School  re-opened  September  ist  in  greatly  improved  build- 
ings on  the  same  ground  and  with  a  better  gymnasium.  In  Decem- 
ber, 1890,  the  School's  buildings  were  again  swept  away  by  fire  and 
the  Fourth  Headmaster  sought  better  climatic  conditions  and 
erected  the  best  school  plant  in  the  Southern  States  on  the  Asheville 
Plateau. 

It  is  said  that  there  are  people  living  within  hearing  of  the 
sound  of  Niagara  who  have  never  seen  the  Falls.  We  have  the 
highest  authority  for  saying  that  even  "a  prophet  is  not  without 
honor  save  in  his  own  land."  But  as  an  unprecedented  interest  in 
all  educational  matters  has  developed  in  the  State  and  in  the  whole 
country,  it  may  be  worth  while  to  describe  this  unique  school  plant, 
so  that  Southern  people  may  have  a  better  idea  of  their  oldest 
school  for  boys;  and  after  a  description  of  the  buildings  and  envi- 
ronment, to  give  the  impression  made  by  the  School  and  its  equip- 
ment on  the  United  States  Government  and  some  of  its  officials; 
on  officers  of  the  United  States  army  and  navy;  on  the  Executive, 
Judiciary  and  Military  Departments  of  the  Government  of  North 
Carolina;  on  presidents  of  universities;  on  prominent  physicians, 
and  on  other  distinguished  men  in  the  State  and  out  of  the  State, 
in  order  that  those  who  have  not  seen  what  the  school  is  and  what 
it  has  may  know  what  sofne  of  the  most  competent  judges  in  the 
country  who  have  seen  it,  say  about  it  over  their  own  signatures; 
and  some  description  of  this  plant  is  more  competent  because  the 


first,  second  and  third  headmasters,  during  the  School's  migrations, 
did  not  put  more  than  $3,500  in  buildings  and  equipment,  whereas 
the  Fourth  Headmaster's  school  plant  has  cost  some  eighty  thous- 
and dollars  ($80,000)  which  is  more  than  twenty  times  as  much  as 
all  the  other  headmasters  expended  in  buildings  and  equipment. 

The  Location. 

Since  1891  the  School  has  been  located  on  the  Asheville  Plateau, 
three  miles  northwest  of  the  city  of  Asheville.  This  location  was 
selected  from  about  fifty  (50)  sites  offered  to  the  superintendent  in 
an  area  including  almost  every  Southern  State  and  one  State  in  the 
Central  West,  and  in  one  case  at  least  with  buildings  and  a  $50,000 
cash  inducement.  From  the  salubrity  of  -its  climate  this  plateau, 
which  averages  2,500  feet  above  the  sea  level,  is  the  most  frequented 
all-the-year-round  pleasure  and  health  resort  in  America,  having 
attracted  by  its  winter  climate  60,000  visitors  from  the  North  in  a 
single  winter  (whereas  other  mountain  regions,  the  Adirondacks, 
the  Catskills,  the  Virginia  mountains,  for  instance,  repel  visitors  en- 
tirely in  the  winter)  and  40,000  visitors  from  the  South  in  a  single 
summer  by  its  summer  climate;  and  it  has  been  chosen  as  a  place 
of  permanent  residence  by  a  number  of  multi-millionaires  with  the 
world  to  choose  from. 

The  Buildings. 

The  buildings,  which  are  the  result  of  the  study  of  school  build- 
ings for  thirty  years,  in  some  twenty-five  States  of  the  Union  and 
abroad,  with  a  view  to  ventilation,  sanitation,  discipline,  instruc- 
tion, and  safety  against  fire,  are  an  entirely  new  departure  from 
the  typical  three  or  four-story  school  building.,  erected  in  many 
cases  by  some  town  or  corporation  for  show  rather  than  for  utility, 
arranged  as  if  to  supply  the  pupils  with  vitiated,  rather  than  with 
pure  air,  and  to  propagate  rather  than  to  destroy  germs  of  disease, 
and  often  occupied  by  teachers  who  had  no  share  in  planning  them. 
In  planning  the  Bingham  School  Buildings  to  accommodate  136  pu- 
pils, two  in  a  room  and  one  in  a  bed,  cost  and  mere  show  were  en- 
tirely subordinated  to  health  and  safety  and  utility.  As  a  matter  of 
fact,  much  more  showy  buildings  on  the  usual  plan  could  have  been 
erected  at  two-thirds  of  the  cost. 

As  a  provision  for  health,  the  buildings  are  on  the  scf-called 
"cottage  plan,"  which  has  been  adopted  of  late  years  on  sanitary 
grounds  by  all  civilized  Governments  for  Barracks  and  Hospitals, 
although  it  is  much  more  expensive  than  a  high  and  showy  build- 
ing would  have  been.  The  dormitories  and  class-rooms  are  all  of 
brick,  in  eight  sections,  and  placed  on  both  sides  of  a  street  75  feet 
wide.  They  are  but  one  story  high  and  but  one  story  deep,  so  that 
each  pupil  gets  air  and  light  in  his  quarters  from  two  opposite  direc- 
tions. The  sun  shines  into  each  room  at  some  time  every  day,  and 
each  room  is  automatically  ventilated.  As  the  quarters  are  all  in 
single  stories,  there  can  be  no  one  above  or  below  anybody,  or  at 
the  right  or  left  of  anybody,  and  between  each  four  pupils  there  are 
two  open  fire  places,  with  flues,  12  inches  square,  which  make  a 
steady,  automatic  circulation  of  air. 

The  class-rooms  in  the  center  of  each  section  are  kept  free  from 
vitiated  air  by  having  no  communication  with  dormitories  or  with 
each  other.  They  get  fresh  air  from  two  opposite  sides  and  from 
one  end,  and  are  ventilated  automatically  by  a  system  so  simple  and 
so  efficient  as  to  be  most  highly  approved  of  by  every  one  who  has 
inspectexl  it,  as  hundreds  have  done.     Many  pronounce  it  supericrr 


to  anything  they  have  ever  seen  anywhere  else,  and  several  archi- 
tects have  told  the  superintendent  that  they  should  adopt  his  method 
of  ventilation  as  a  distinct  advance  on  anything  used  heretofore. 

If  food,  to  be  taken  into  the  stomach  three  times  a  day,  should 
be  carefully  guarded  against  impurities,  how  much  more  should  the 
air,  taken  into  the  lungs  25,000  times  a  day,  be  kept  pure? 

Dampness  is  prevented  by  a  course  of  slate  and  cement  on 
every  wall,  about  one  foot  above  ground.  Instead  of  a  less  expen- 
sive but  less  healthful  system  of  steam-heating,  each  room  has  an 
open  fire  place  and  the  comfort  and  ventilation  which  nothing  af- 
fords so  well  as  an  open  fire  place.  Each  dormitory  has  two  single 
beds,  with  spring  mattresses;  and  one  rarely  finds  a  room  anywhere 
better  heated,  lighted  and  ventilated  and  more  wholesome  and  com- 
fortable in  all  respects. 

Safety  Against  Fire. 

Having  had  three  experiences  with  fire  in  the  School's  tem- 
porary buildings  in  middle  North  Carolina,  abandoned  in  1891,  its 
permanent  buildings  are  of  brick,  in  eight  sections,  with  nothing 
that  can  burn  but  the  floor,  ceiling  and  sheeting,  and  are  only  one 
story  high,  so  that  each  pupil  can  step  from  his  door  to  the  ground. 
The  sections  are  separated  by  parapet  fire-walls,  so  that  fire  could 
hardly  pass  from  section  to  section.  Each  pair  of  rooms  is  separ- 
ated by  a  brick  parapet  wall,  so  that  only  two  rooms  can  burn  if  a 
fire  should  brepk  out.  Water  can  be  thrown  over  the  top  of  every 
building  from  fire-plugs  in  front  of  each  section.  This  plan  of 
building  makes  an  accident  by  fire  almost  impossible.  And  the  wis- 
dom of  a  parent's  securing  this  fire  protection  for  his  son  while  at 
school  is  remarkably  vindicated  by  the  fact  that  since  the  School's 
permanent  buildings  were  put  under  contract  in  1891,  the  superin- 
tendent has  noted  the  death  of  more  than  300  pupils  by  school  fires 
in  the  United  States;  the  Insurance  and  Clipping  Bureau  Companies 
report  more  than  1,000  by  being  burnt  or  by  jumping  from  upstairs 
windows;  and  many  more  cases  of  death  or  injury  have  not  been 
reported  at  all  or  have  not  been  recorded.  It  makes  one  shudder  to 
think  of  the  consequences  of  a  fire  breaking  out  at  midnight  in  an 
ordinary  three  or  four-story  school  building,  when  22  lost  their  lives 
in  one  such  building  recently,  42  in  another  and  45  in  a  third;  and 
when  we  hear  constantly  of  the  burning  of  people  in  hotels,  with 
night  clerks,  night  watchmen  and  fire  escapes,  it  seems  strange  that 
parents  will  risk  their  children  in  fire  traps  when  so  many  fatalities 
have  occurred  and  will  continue  to  occur  in  such  buildings. 

The  Bath  House. 

As  the  Fourth  Headmaster,  while  in  Middle  North  Carolina, 
built  the  first  gymnasium  in  a  Southern  school,  he  also 
built  the  first  Bath  House.  It  was  heated  by  steam,  lighted  by  gas 
and  had  21  bath  tubs  and  a  swimming  pool.  But  the  bath  tub  in 
any  public  place  is  unsanitary,  as  it  may  carry  germs  of  contagion 
from  some  previous  bathers,  and  it  took  six  hours  or  more  to  bathe 
the  school.  In  the  present  Bath  House — which  cost  more  than 
$2,500 — the  tub  is  rejected  and  the  whole  school  is  bathed  in  an  hour 
and  a  half  by  the  use  of  the  shower  bath  method  alone,  some  7^ 
gallons  of  perfectly  pure  water  at  the  temperature  of  85  degrees  to 
90  degrees  being  poured  on  each  of  the  bathers  from  fifty  sprinklers 
at  a  time,  twice  each  week;  and  the  athletic  teams  may  take  a  cold 
water  shower  bath  every  day. 

Capt,  J.  B.  Bennett,  6th  Infantry,  U.  S.  A.,  Special  Inspector, 

.7 


whose  report  is  hereinafter  quoted,  added  to  this  official  report  the 
personal  remark  that  he  "wished  the  Government  had  something 
like  the  Bingham  Bath  House  at  Fort  McPherson";  and  Col. 
Philip  Reade,  24th  Infantry,  Inspector  of  Camps  of  Volunteers, 
during  the  Spanish-American  War,  said  that  he  should  report  the 
School's  water  closet  to  the  Government  as  a  solution  of  sinks  for 
the  Army;  and  that  if  this  model  had  been  used  in  the  Spanish  War, 
thousands  of  lives  would  have  been  saved. 

The  Club  House. 

The  latest  addition  to  the  School's  equipment  is  the  Club 
House;  and  as  the  Fourth  Headmaster  built  the  first  gymnasium 
and  the  first  bath  house  in  a  Southern  school,  he  has  the  first  Club 
House,  built  by  his  son,  Robert  W.  Bingham,  of  Louisville,  Ky., 
Vice-President  of  the  Louisville  Y.  M.  C.  A.,  with  a  $100,000  build- 
ing and  1,750  members. 

The  churches  say  to  a  young  man  "Thou  shalt  not,"  but  here- 
tofore, as  a  rule,  they  have  offered  no  substitute  for  what  he  must 
give  up.  The  Young  Men's  Christian  Association  says  "Thou  shalt 
not,"  but  offers  a  substitute  which  appeals  strongly  to  a  young 
man  in  baths,  reading  rooms,  in  gymnasiums,  in  innocent  and 
healthful  games  and  amusements,  and  the  churches  are  beginning 
to  do  likewise.  The  School  offers  bathing  facilities,  a  reading  room, 
a  gymnasium;  and  has  tennis  courts  and  an  excellent  athletic  field 
for  outdoor  sports.  The  first  story  of  the  new  Club  House  furnishes 
quarters  for  the  Manager  and  his  wife  and  contains  the  furnace 
room,  storage  rooms,  etc.~  The  second  story  is  for  such  innocent 
and  healthful  indoor  sports,  when  the  weather  prevents  outdoor 
sports,  as  the  Louisville  Y.  M.  C.  A.  offers  to  its  members.  The 
third  story  is  an  audience  hall  for  debates,  declamations,  lectures 
and  other  desirable  entertainments,  so  that  the  cadets  may  have  the 
conveniences,  comforts  and  legitimate  amusements  on  the  school 
grounds  which  they  would  otherwise  go  off  the  school  grounds  for. 
This  building  is  heated  both  by  fireplaces  and  by  a  furnace,  is 
lighted  by  electricity,  and  is  the  only  one  of  the  school  buildings 
which  can  make  any  pretence  to  architectural  effect. 

The  One-Story  Plan  as  Effecting  Order  and  Discipline. 

Besides  the  many  other  advantages  of  the  one-story  plan^  per- 
haps the  greatest  is  the  facility  it  affords  for  securing  the  greatest 
quiet  and  order,  with  the  least  pressure  and  friction. 

The  quarters  consist  of  eight  ranges  or  galleries  with  four  dor- 
mitories on  each  side  of  a  center,  which  center  is  the  class-room, 
with  the  teacher's  quarters  just  behind  and  connected  with  his  class- 
room. This  places  the  teachers  at  regular  intervals  everywhere,  so 
that  the  boy  can  find  the  teacher  or  the  teacher  the  boy  in  case  of 
need  in  either  direction.  This  distribution  of  teacher  and  pupils 
rnakes  opportunities  for  disorders  in  study  hours  so  easy  of  detec- 
tion, not  by  espionage,  but  by  constant  presence  and  contact,  that 
a  degree  of  order  and  an  opportunity  for  pupil  and  teacher  to  at- 
tend to  their  business  day  and  night,  are  secured  to  a  degree  im- 
possible with  any  other  form  of  building  and  these  results  impress 
every  visitor  as  phenomenal. 

Having  described  the  school  plant  in  some  of  its  salient  fea- 
tures, some  of  the  opinions  of  it  are  added  and  the  question  natur- 
ally presents  itself,  whether  such  things  can  be  said  by  such  people 
of  any  other  school  North  or  South? 

8 


From  the  Vice-President  of  the  United  States. 

(Published  in  the  Editorial  Cor.  of  the  "North  Carolinian,"  March 

29,  1894-) 

Vice-President's  Chamber, 

Washington,  March  27,  1894. 
Hon.  Josephus  Daniels,  ^  ,. 

My  Dear  Sir:  It  was  my  good  fortune  a  few  days  ago  to  visit 
"The  Bingham  School,"  now  located  at  Asheville,  North  Carolina. 

It  is  impossible  to  speak  too  highly  of  the  celebrated  institu- 
tion. Its  location,  buildings,  sanitation  and  water  supply  are  all 
that  could  be  desired.  It  would  indeed  be  difficult  to  find  a  school 
whose  location  possesses  equal  natural  advantages.  The  corps  of 
teachers,  moreover,  is  excellent.  Under  Col.  Bingham,  its  present 
efficient  superintendent,  this  historic  school  has  more  than  sustained 
its  well-earned  reputation. 

I  take  pleasure  in  commending  it  most  earnestly. 

(Signed)  '  A.  E.  STEVENSON.    , 

(The  original  of  this  letter  is  framed  and  hangs  in  Col.  Bing- 
ham's office). 

From  the  U.  S.  Government's  Bureau  of  Education. 

Circular  of  Information  No.  3,  1888,  Page  131. 

Washington;  Government  Printing  Office,  1888. 
"The    Bingham    School    stands    preeminent    among    Southern 
schools  for  boys,  and  ranks  with  the  best  in  the  Union. 

"The  Bingham  School  has  reached  its  greatest  efficiency  under 
the  present  Superintendent,  Col.  Robert  Bingham." 

From  Gen.  Lawton,  of  Santiago,  and  Manila,  in  the  Annual  Report 

of  the  Inspector  General  of  the  U.  S.  Army  to  the  Secretary  of 

War,  for  1892. 

(Washington:     Government  Printing  Office,  Page  273.) 

Tts  (the  Bingham  School's)  reputation  is  that  of  one  of  the 
best  military  schools  in  the  South.  *  *  *  The  discipline  of  the 
School  is  to  be  commended.  The  service  in  the  Mess  Hall  is  excel- 
lent, and  the  gymnasium  is  a  model  in  all  particulars.  *  *  * 
The  inspection  was  most  satisfactory  in  all  particulars." 

(Signed)  H.  W.  LAWTON. 

(Then)  Lieutenant  Colonel,  Inspector  General  U.  S.  Army.     (Later 
Major  General  U.  S.  Army.) 

From  the  Officers  o'f  the  U.  S.  Army  Who   Have   Been  Detailed  as 

Professors  of  Military  Science  and  Tactics  Since  August,  1883, 

when  the  Details  From  the  U.  S.  Army  Began. 

"The  Bingham  School  combines  more  desirable  qualities  than 
any  other  with  which  I  am  acquainted." — Maj.  J.  B.  Batchelor, 
United  States  Army  (Professor  of  Military  Science  and  Tactics 
from  1883  to  1886.) 

"There  exists  not  the  equal  of  the  Bingham  School  in  my  opin- 
ion."—Col.  Henry  Wygant,  United  States  Army  (Professor  of  Mil- 
itary Science  and  Tactics  from  1886  to  1889.) 

"I  cordially  recommend  Bingham's  as  the  best  school  for  boys 
in  my  knowledge."— Captain  J.  B.  Hughes,  United  States  Army 
(Professor  of  Military  Science  and  Tactics  from  1889  to  1891.) 

"The  Bingham  School  possesses  more  attractive  features  and 


offers  better  opportunities  for  the  mental  and  physical  development 
of  boys  than  any  similar  institution  known  to  me." — Captain  John 
Little',  United  States  Army  (Professor  of  Military  Science  and  Tac- 
tics from  1891  to  1894.) 

"It  affords  me  p^reat  pleasure  to  say  that  I  regard  the  Bingham 
School  as  the  best  institution  of  the  kind  in  the  United  States,  pos- 
sessing as  it  does  a  superbly  healthful  location,  easy  of  access,  in  the 
geographical  center  of  the  region  east  of  the  Mississippi,  and  the 
best  facilities  for  developing  the  physical,  mental,  moral  and  manly 
qualities  of  its  students,  among  whom  I  deem  myself  fortunate  to 
include  my  son." — Briq-adier  General  Charles  L.  Davis,  United  States 
Army  (Professor  of  Military  Science  and  Tactics  from  1894  to  De- 
cember, 1897.) 

"It  was  my  good  fortune  to  be  with  the  Bingham  School  as 
Professor  of  Military  Science  and  Tactics  from  December,  1897,  till 
the  war  with  Spain  terminated  what  promised  to  be  a  delightful 
and  instructive  detail,  which,  however,  lasted  long  enough  for  me  to 
be  more  than  favorably  impressed  with  the  School. 

"I  found  the  cadets  gentlemanly  and  well-behaved  at  all  times. 
The  course  of  studv  is  most  excellent,  as  is  shown  by  the  success  of 
so  many  of  its  pupils  in  the  different  callings  in  life.  The  strong,  up- 
right feeling  of  manliness  and  of  regard  for  the  truth  which  is  seen 
in  the  daily  life  of  the  pupils,  is  worth  more,  in  my  opinion,  than  all 
a  boy  can  learn  from  books.  Even  if  he  learns  nothing  else  he  has 
learned  to  be  an  honest  man.  This  feature  of  the  School  impressed 
me  particularly.  No  boy  can  tell  the  faculty  a  lie  and  remain  in 
School,  and  the  best  of  this  system  is  that  the  boys  regulate  this 
matter  among  themselves.       *     *     * 

"I  appreciate  the  privilege  it  has  been  to  me,  to  be  associated 
with  such  an  institution,  and  I  have  learned  many  things  from  ob- 
serving Col.  Bingham's  firm  but  fair  way  of  treating  those  com- 
mitted to  his  care." — Captain  John  A.  Perry,  United  States  Army 
(Professor  of  Military  Science  and  Tactics  from  December,  1897,  to 
the  beginning  of  the  Spanish  war.) 

From  Lieutenant  Chas.  S.  Fowler,  U.  S.  Army  (Professor  of  Mili- 
tary Science  and  Tactics  from  1900  to  1904.) 

"A  visit  to  the  Bingham  School,  near  Asheville,  N.  C,  must 
make  lasting  impressions  on  any  one  interested  in  the  education  of 
young  men  away  from  home.  The  location  is  simply  grand;  the 
equipment  is  nearly  perfect,  while  the  administration  is  the  best 
that  a  long  and  continuous  experience  can  make  it  *  *  *  ^nd  it 
may  truthfully  be  said  that  at  the  Bingham  School  everything  is 
done,  that  can  be  done,  to  start  a  boy  toward  perfect  manhood. 

"One  word  about  the  'Honor'  system.  This  is  an  "Honor' 
school.^  Here  boys  do  not  lie  to  escape  blame  or  punishment;  every 
one  being  on  his  honor  as  a  man,  and  this,  in  my  opinion,  is  one  of 
the  grandest  foundation  stones  a  school  can  possibly  have.  *  *  * 
It  is  a  grand  school  and  combines  more  and  better  facilities  for  the 
development  of  all  that  is  good  in  a  boy,  than  any  school  for  boys 
known  to  me."— Charles  S.  Fowler,  First  Lieutenant  U.  S.  A.  (Pro- 
fessor of  Military  Science  and  Tactics,  1900  to  1904.) 


Extracts  from  the  Annual   Report   of   the    Inspector    General's  De- 
partment, United  States  Army,  1902. 

Fort  Caswell,  N.  C,  May  22,  1902. 
The  Inspector  General,  U.  S.  Army,  Washington,  D.  C. 

Sir:     I  have  the  honor  to  submit  the  following  report  of  tJac 


annual  inspection  of  the  Bingham  School,  made  May  i6,  1902. 

The  appearance  and  bearing  of  the  cadet  corps  was  smart  and 
soldierly  to  a  high  degree.  *  *  *  Their  steadiness  and  behavior 
during  inspection  was  remarkable.       *     *     * 

At  inspection  of  Cadet  Barracks,  the  rooms  were  very  neat  and 
orderly  and  especially  well  ventilated.  The  cadet  mess  and  kitchens 
were  clean  and  inviting. 

Altogether  the  military  department  of  the  School  is  of  a  very 
high  order.  The  cadets  are  well  drilled  and  the  discipline  and  con- 
trol exercised  over  them  is  most  judicious,  and  it  seems  to  _me  that 
the  military  department  of  the  School  closely  seconds  the  idea  the 
War  Department  had  in  mind  when  detailing  an  officer  of  the  Army 
on  duty  as  commandant  of  cadets. 

Very  respectfully, 

(Signed)  R.  F.  GARDNER, 

Capt.  Artillery  Corps,  U.  S.  Army  (Special  Inspector.) 

Extract  from  the  Annual  Report  of  the  Inspector  Generars  Depart- 
ment, United  States  Army,  1903: 

Fort  McPherson,  Ga.,  May  18,  1903. 
To  the  Inspector  General  U.  S.  Army,  Washington,  D.  C. 

Sir:  In  compliance  with  S.  O.  103,  Headquarters  Department 
of  the  East,  current  series,  and  A.  R.,  970,  I  have  the  honor  to  sub- 
mit the  following  report  of  the  annual  inspection  of  the  Bingham 
School,  made  by  me  May  19,  1903: 

It  is  a  private  institution,  situated  on  a  high  bluff  overlooking, 
the  French  Broad  river,  and  about  three  miles  from  Asheville,  N.  C. 
The  School  is  owned  by  Robert  Bingham  and  as  regards  the  mili- 
tary instruction  to  be  given  it  has  been  placed  in  the  first  class. 

The  appearance  and  bearing  of  the  cadets  at  review,  inspec- 
tion, parade  and  drills  was  very  good;. their  behavior  was  excellent; 
their  steadiness  good.  *  *  *  j  ^^g  favorably  impressed  with  the 
manner  in  which  the  military  department  of  this  School  is  being 
conducted,  and  believe  that  its  continuation  is  fully  warranted  by 
the  benefits  produced. 

At  the  request  of  the  Superintendent,  I  inspected  the  barracks, 
gymnasium,  mess  hall,  infirmary  and  bath  house,  and  found  in  them 
all  that  could  be  desired  for  the  physical  training  of  the  cadets.  The 
sanitary  arrangements  and  bathing  facilities  are  to  be  especially 
commended. 

Very  respectfully, 

(Signed)  JNO.  B.  BENNETT, 

Capt.  Sixteenth  Infantry,  Special  Inspector. 

From  Eben  Alexander,  Ph.D.,  LL.  D.,  United  States  Minister 
to  Greece. 

American  Legation,  Athens,  April  23,   1897. 

My  two  sons  are  at  the  Bingham  School  because  I  know  that 
there  is  no  school  in  which  students  are  better  cared  for  in  every- 
thing relating  to  health,  character  and  instruction.  By  personal  in- 
spection I  have  been  familiar  with  the  working  of  the  School  in  its 
old  and  new  home  for  more  than  ten  years. 

Many  young  men  from  Bingham's  have  been  in  my  classes  at 
the  University  of  North  Carolina,  and  I  have  never  seen  one  of  them 
who  was  not  a  manly  fellow. 

(Signed)  EBEN  ALEXANDER. 

•II 


FROM  EXECUTIVE  AND  JUDICIAL  AND  MILITARY  DE- 
PARTMENTS OF  THE  STATE  OF  NORTH  CAROLINA. 

From  the  Governor  of  North  Carolina. 

State  of  North  Carolina — Executive  Department. 

Raleigh,  N.  C. 
To  Whom  it  May  Concern: 

I  am  pleased  to  add  my  testimonial  to  the  superior  advantages 
of  the  renowned  Bingham  School,  now  located  near  Asheville,  N.  C. 
I  was  a  student  in  the  Bingham  School  when  it  was  situated  in  Or- 
ange county,  in  1854.  It  was  then  the  leading  school  in  the  State, 
and  it  has  ever  since  been  successfully  managed  and  has  enjoyed 
this  reputation.  After  a  careful  personal  inspection  of  the  present 
location  and  the  sanitary  arrangements,  made  recently,  I  am  im- 
pressed with  the  great  improvements  over  the  old  plan  of  build- 
ings used  in  my  school  days;  and  I  have  no  hesitancy  in  pronounc- 
ing the  location  most  desirable,  the  buildings  excellent,  the  sanitary 
arrangements  unequalled.  In  fact  it  is  a  model  school  plant,  with 
all  the  modern  improvements.  For  three  generations,  extending 
over  one  hundred  years,  the  Binghams  have  been  distinguished  ed- 
ucators, and  the  school  founded  by  them  is  an  institution  of  which 
any  State  should  be  proud. 

Very  respectfully, 

ELIAS  CARR, 
Governor  of  North  Carolina. 

From  Associate  Justice  A.  C.  Avery. 

Supreme  Court. 
•  Raleigh,  N.  C,  April  16,  1896. 

As  an  old  student  of  the  Bingham  School,  when  under  the  man- 
agement of  the  late  W.  J.  Bingham,  it  was  a  great  pleasure  to  me 
to  see,  from  a  recent  inspection  of  the  work,  that  my  class-mate, 
Col.  Robert  Bingham,  the  present  head  of  the  school,  is  not  simply 
keeping  abreast  of  the  times,  but  that,  like  his  father,  he  is  ahead  of 
all  competitors  in  thoroughness  of  instruction  and  discipline,  as 
well  as  in  parental  oversight  of  the  morals  and  care  for  the  health 
of  his  pupils. 

The  location  of  the  School  is  among  the  most  beautiful  in  the 
country,  commanding  a  combined  mountain  and  water  view  rarely, 
if  ever,  equalled.  The  drainage  is  excellent  and  the  sanitary  ar- 
rangements are  as  nearly  perfect  as  it  is  possible  by  the  utmost  skill 
and  by  lavish  expenditure  to  make  them. 

(Signed)  A.  C.  AVERY, 

Associate  Justice. 

From  Adjutant  General  Cameron. 

State  of  North  Carolina — Adjutant  General's  Office. 

Raleigh,  N.  C,  April  24,  1896. 

Having  recently  visited  and  inspected  the  Bingham  School,  it 
affords  me  much  pleasure  to  testify  to  its  admirable  location,  man- 
agement and  condition.  Located  in  the  heart  of  the  health-giving 
mountain  region  of  North  Carolina,  its  natural  advantages  in  that 
respect  are  doubly  enhanced  by  the  most  thorough  and  complete 
sanitary  system  I  have  ever  seen.  It  is  but  simple  justice  to  say  that 
nothing  has  been  left  undone  that  could  contribute  to  cleanliness, 
health  and  comfort. 

As  to  the  curriculum  and  discipline  of  the  School,  nothing  need 

12 


be  said,  for  Its  history  for  more  than  a  hundred  years  speaks  for  it- 
self; and  under  the  management  of  Col.  Robert  Bingham,  its  pres- 
ent able  superintendent,  and  his  corps  of  experienced  assistants,  its 
progress  is  plainly  upward  and  onward.  In  my  opinion  the  School 
is  second  to  no  institution  of  its  kind  in  the  country. 

(Signed)  F.  H.  CAMERON, 

Adjutant  General. 


FROM  THE  PRESIDENTS  OF  UNIVERSITIES  AND 
COLLEGES. 

From  Dr.  Geo.  T.  Winston,   President  of  the  University  of  Texas. 

University  of  Texas — President's  Office. 

Austin,  Texas,  Aug.  12,  1897. 
The  Bingham  School  would  do  credit  to  any  State  in  the  Union. 
I  have  known  it  well  for  twenty  years  by  personal  inspection  and 
by  the  work  of  its  pupils  in  Universities  under  my  management.    It 
may  challenge  comparison  with  the  best  boys'  schools  anywhere. 
(Signed)  GEO.  T.  WINSTON, 

President. 
(Late  President  of  University  of  North   Carolina,  now   (1905) 
President  of  N.  C.  College  of  Agriculture  and  Mechanic  Arts,  West 
Raleigh,  N.  C.) 

From  Dr.  James  H.  Kirkland,  Chancellor  of  Vanderbilt  University. 

Chancellor's  Office,  Vanderbilt  University. 

Nashville,  Tenn.,  Oct.  30,  1904. 

The  Bingham  School  has  for  many  years  been  justly  celebrated 
as  one  of  the  very  best  schools  in  the  whole  country.  The  good 
work  it  has  done  is  attested  by  the  records  of  the  students  it  has 
sent  out  into  life  or  to  pursue  higher  courses  at  the  leading  Univer- 
sities. 

It  was  recently  my  privilege  to  inspect  the  grounds  and  build- 
ings of  this  famous  school,  and  I  can  cheerfully  say  that  every  de- 
tail is  in  perfect  accord  with  the  leading  idea  on  which  the  School  is 
run.  In  all  its  appointments  it  would  be  hard  to  find  a  school  in  the 
South  better  equipped  for  work. 

(Signed)  J.  H.  KIRKLAND. 

From   Dr.  E.  A.  Alderman,  President   of  the   University   of   North 

Carolina. 

President's  Office,  University  of  North  Carolina. 

Chapel  Hill,  Aug.  11,  1897. 

It  has  been  my  good  fortune  to  note  the  standing  and  bearing  of 
the  Bingham  boys  at  the  University,  and  also  when  at  Asheville 
recently,  to  inspect  thoroughly  the  site,  equipment  and  inner  life  of 
the  Bingham  School.  With  this  knowledge,  I  take  pleasure  in  say- 
ing that  I  know  of  no  preparatory  school  in  the  South  better 
equipped  in  the  strength  of  its  faculty  and  in  its  provisions  for 
health,  comfort  and  good  government  of  its  students.  It  has  at- 
tracted students  from  all  over  the  land,  and  for  over  a  century  its 
career  has  been  a  matter  of  just  pride  to  every  North  Carolinian. 

(Signed)  EDWIN  A.  ALDERMAN, 

President  University  of  N.  C. 

(Late  President  of  Tulane  University,  New  Orleans,  La.,  now 
(1905)  President  of  the  University  of  Virginia,  Charlottesville,  Va.) 

13 


From  Rev.  Edward    Rondthaler,    Bishop    of    the  Moravian  Church 
and  President  of  the  Board  of  Trustees  of  Salem  Academy. 

Salem,  N.  C,  Oct.  27,  1897. 

When  in  Asheville  recently  I  was  very  much  impressed  with  the 
visit  I  paid  to  the  Bingham  School.  I  was  delighted  with  its  splen- 
did situation  on  the  French  Broad  bluffs,  overlooking  the  same  gen- 
eral scene  which  has  made  Mr.  Vanderbilt's  Biltmore  mansion  fa- 
mous throughout  the  land.  With  the  exception  of  Robert  College, 
Constantinople,  I  can  recall  no  institution  in  the  world  which  has 
so  royal  a  position.  The  street  of  school  buildings,  which  compose 
the  Bingham  School  is,  I  think,  nowhere  surpassed  in  sanitary 
equipment,  safeguards  against  fire,  arrangement  for  ventilation  and 
provision  for  the  exercise  of  the  proper  discipline.  Every  consider- 
ation bearing  upon  the  physical,  mental  and  moral  development  of 
young  manhood  has  been  thought  out  and  applied  with  an  admirable 
foresight  and  enthusiasm  in  educational  work.  I  was  particularly 
impressed  with  the  privacy  which  each  cadet  may  enjoy  in 
connection  with  a  thorough  supervision  of  his  conduct  and  work. 
When  to  these  advantages  come  to  be  added  what  I  know  of  the 
scholastic  and  Christian  opportunities  offered,  I  believe  the  Bing- 
ham School  to  be  one  of  the  finest  instances  of  the  application  of 
educational  science  to  be  found  in  our  country  or  any  other. 

(Signed)  EDWARD  RONDTHALER. 


FROM  PROMINENT  PHYSICIANS. 

From  Four  Leading  Physicians  Representing  the  Medical  Faculty 

of  Asheville. 

We  have  carefully  examined  the  new  school  buildings  on  Bing- 
ham Heights,  just  without  the  city  limits  of  Asheville,  and  take 
pleasure  in  bearing  testimony  as  follows: 

1.  The  location  in  natural  advantages  leaves  nothing  to  be  de- 
sired. 

2.  The  buildings  exceptionally  fill  the  requirements. 

3.  The  sanitation  is  as  perfect  as  scientific,  modern  plumbing 
can  make  it. 

4.  The  water  supply  is  abundant,  the  water  of  the  purest,  care- 
fully collected  from  mountain  springs,  and  without  a  chance  of 
contamination. 

5.  The  all-the-year-round  climate  of  Asheville  is  world-re- 
nowned, and  with  the  School's  exceptionally  excellent  equipment 
and  sanitation,  gives  Bingham's  special  advantages  not  enjoyed  by 
another  school  in  America. 

(Signed)  S.  WESTRAY  BATTLE,  M.  D.,  U.  S.  N., 

(Signed)  JOHN  HEY  WILLIAMS,  A.  M.,  M.  D., 

(Signed)  JAMES  A.  BURROUGHS,  M.  D.,  ' 

(Signed)  WILLIAM  D.  HILLIARD,  M.  D. 

From  Karl  Von  Ruck,  B.  S.,   M.   D.,    Medical   Director  of  Winyah 
Sanitarium,  Asheville,  N.  C. 

I  take  pleasure  in  reporting  the  results  of  my  recent  inspection 
of  the  buildings  and  environment  of  the  Bingham  School.  I  find 
that  its  sanitary  appointments  are  exceptionally  perfect  and  much 
better  than  I  have  ever  found  before  in  the  numerous  public  insti- 

14 


tutions  I  have  heretofore  examined.  I  have  not  one  single  sugges- 
tion to  make  for  improvement.  On  the  contrary,  I  commend  its 
appointments  as  a  standard  and  well  worth  the  study  and  imitation 
of  every  similar  institution  in  the  land.  The  advantages  of  the 
School's  location,  its  perfect  system  of  sewerage,  and  its  water  sup- 
ply (which  by  the  chemical  and  bacteriological  examinations  is 
shown  to  be  absolutely  pure)  as  well  as  the  liberal  and  wholesome 
diet  furnished,  are  matters  of  such  importance  as  to  justify  the  un- 
qualified recommendation  of  this  School  for  the  education  of  youths 
whose  parents  or  guardians  consider  the  physical  development  and 
good  health  of  the  student  of  equal  importance  with  mental  culture. 

(Signed)  KARL  VON  RUCK,  M.  D., 

Member  Am.   Pub.  Health  Association,  Am.   Climatological  Asso- 
ciation. 

From  Dr.  F.  V.   Van   Aartsdalen,    Philadelphia,   in    "Odd  Fellows' 
Siftings,"  of  March  lo,  1894. 

The  most  distinguished  among  all  the  educational  institutions 
of  North  Carolina  is  the  Bingham  School.  It  stands  pre-eminent 
among  Southern  schools  for  boys,  and  ranks  with  the  best  in  the 
Union.  I  visited  this  School  yesterday.  For  sanitation  and  the 
principles  of  hygiene,  I  look  upon  it  as  not  being  surpassed  by  any 
similar  or  other  institution  in  the  world.  Much  attention  has  been 
paid  to  the  plumbing,  and  to  the  water  supply,  which  is  from  a  fine 
mountain  spring,  and  is  of  the  purest  quality.  The  drainage  is  com- 
plete and  perfect.  I  can  recommend  this  School  to  any  father  who 
desires  a  thorough  education  for  his  son. 

(Signed)  F.  V.  VAN  AARTSDALEN,  M.  D. 

Asheville,  N.  C,  Feb.  20,  1890. 

From  Dr.  J.  C.  Erwin,  of  McKinney,  Texas. 

Office  of  Gibson  &  Erwin,  Physicians  and  Surgeons. 

McKinney,  Texas,  April  16,  1894. 

It  gave  me  great  pleasure  to  make  a  careful  inspection  of  the 
Bingham  School,  its  location  and  surroundings,  a  few  days  ago.  I 
was  especially  interested  in  the  sanitary  conditions,  and  I  have  no 
hesitation  in  saying,  after  a  careful  examination,  that  they  are  per- 
fect in  every  detail,  and  superb  in  their  completeness.  The  arrange- 
ments for  ventilation,  heating,  water  supply,  drainage  and  sewerage 
are  certainly  superior  to  anything  I  have  ever  seen  before,  and  can 
but  secure  in  return  health,  convenience,  comfort  and  safety. 

(Signed)  J.  C.  ERWIN,  M.  D. 

From  W.  A.  Goode,  M.  D.,  Waco,  N.  C. 

I  was  in  Asheville,  N.  C,  in  November,  1897,  attending  the 
Western  North  Carolina  Conference  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church,  South,  and  had  the  pleasure  of  meeting  Col.  Bingham,  Su- 
perintendent of  the  Bingham  School,  which  is  beautifully  located 
outside  the  city  on  a  commanding  eminence  overlooking  the  French 
Broad  river.  I  gave  the  buildings  and  grounds  of  the  School  a  criti- 
cal examination,  and  I  must  say  in  all  candor  that  I  had  never 
dreamed  of  such  completeness  and  excellence  as  to  sanitation  and 
the  laws  of  hygiene  as  I  found  to  have  been  attained  and  put  into 
operation  here.  Col.  Bingham  has  adapted  his  buildings  and  the 
mode  of  living  to  Nature's  laws,  and  hence  it  seems  to  me  that  the 

IS 


sanitation,  drainage,  heating,  ventilation  and  water  supply  are  per- 
fect. It  is  truly  a  great  school  and  is  worthy  of  the  patronage  of  the 
best  people  of  the  Nation. 

(Signed)  W.  A.  GOODE,  M.  D. 

About  one  hundred  other  physicians  from  various  parts  of  the 
United  States  have  inspected  the  School,  every  one  of  whom  con- 
curs heartily  with  the  opinions  expressed  above. 

From.  Col.  J.  S.  Carr,  President  of  the  Blackwell  Durham  Tobacco 

Company. 

I  am  pleased  to  have  enjoyed  a  recent  opportunity  of  making  a 
trip  to  the  celebrated  Bingham  School,  and  of  going  carefully  over 
the  premises.  I  need  say  nothing  with  respect  to  the  curriculum, 
for  the  well-known  repute  of  the  institution  is  older  than  I.  But 
of  the  location  and  sanitation,  I  desire  to  speak  more  particularly. 
>!«  *  »c  From  the  way  the  land  lies,  the  drainage  is  natural,  and 
Nature  has  done  her  work  perfectly.  The  sewerage  is  most  com- 
plete and  perfect,  and  the  ventilation  and  sanitation  of  the  buildings 
are  perfect.  Neither  pains  nor  expense  has  been  spared  to  make  the 
barracks  what  I  pronounce  the  most  perfect  living  rooms  I  ever 
saw.  Health  and  disciplinary  care  are  written  in  every  feature  of  the 
institution  and  those  in  search  of  the  best  need  go  no  farther.  I  am 
proud  that  North  Carolina  can  boast  of  Bingham  and  the  Bingham 
School. 

(Signed)  J.  S.  CARR, 

Durham,  N.  C. 

These  testimonials  could  be  multiplied  indefinitely;  for  the 
School  refers  confidently  to  any  patron  whose  son  was  not  expelled 
or  excluded.  The  last  testimonial  offered  is  from  Chas.  B.  Aycock, 
the  State's  great  educational  Governor,  who  ranks  with  Gov.  Vance 
as  one  of  the  two  greatest  Governors  that  North  Carolina  has  pro- 
duced in  the  time  of  men  now  living  or  of  their  fathers.  Governor 
Aycock's  opinion  is  as  follows: 

AYCOCK  &  DANIELS, 

Attorneys-at-Law. 

Goldsboro,  N.  C,  Sept.  29,  1905. 

Some  time  since  I  made  a  careful  inspection  of  The  Bingham 
School  and  its  surroundings  near  Asheville,  N.  C.  I  have  never  seen 
as  perfect  arrangements  for  drainage,  ventilation  and  cleanliness. 
The  conditions  for  maintaining  health  are  ideal.  The  work  that  is 
done  in  the  School  needs  no  commendation.  It  has  been  so  long 
established  and  has  done  such  excellent  work  in  education  that 
praise  of  it  is  superfluous. 

(Signed)  C.  B.  AYCOCK. 


Can  such  things  be  said  by  such  people  of  any  other 
school,  North  or  South? 


16 


